Tele2 and Telenor secure new frequencies and consolidate joint plan for 5G network in Sweden

Tele2 AB (Tele2) and Telenor have signed a new complementary agreement for the expansion of a joint and nationwide 5G network in Sweden. The parties have agreed on the details of the implementation, which is scheduled to be initiated in the second half of 2019. Furthermore, Tele2 and Telenor have secured frequencies in the 700MHz spectrum that will strengthen the established 4G network and consolidate the ambition to provide the first customers with 5G access by 2020.

According to Tele2’s and Telenor's updated plan, the shared mobile network will be expanded by more than 50 percent, resulting in thousands of new base stations across Sweden. This is valuable for the already established 4G network and ensures the joint plan to provide the first customers with access to 5G functionality by 2020. 5G roll-out will commence in the major cities of Sweden, followed by significant summer and winter resorts. During spring 2019, a detailed plan for the country will be published and updated continuously, as construction starts in each region and municipality.

– The mobile network is the backbone of Tele2 and we are proud of what our fast and secure network will enable for our customers. We will continue to invest to continually increase the quality for our customers, and the new frequency is valuable for that work going forward. Thanks to a well-established 4G network, we can secure a fast and flexible roll-out of 5G and other new technologies improving coverage and capacity, says Thomas Björklund, Executive Vice President Mobile Technology at Tele2

The new complementary agreement to build 5G in Sweden is the next step in Tele2's and Telenor's network collaboration. The parties announced the joint ambitions of a nationwide 5G network in 2016. After having built a national 2G and 4G network together that today covers 99.9 percent of Sweden's population, the new agreement provides a good foundation for the forthcoming 5G expansion.

– Our 5G expansion is both aggressive and ambitious, which we are very proud of. The nationwide 5G network will provide even better coverage, faster connection, reduced latency and higher capacity, which is a prerequisite for the increasing number of devices. At the same time, our investments continue to strengthen the existing 4G network in the country, says Stefan Jäverbring, CTO at Telenor Sweden.